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Licensed sponsors
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FAQ
Common questions
How do I check if a UK company has a sponsor licence?
Type the company name into the search box at the top of this page. If the employer is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors you will see its licence rating (A or B), its town and the visa routes it can sponsor. Companies are sometimes listed under their legal name rather than a trading name, so try both. The official register on GOV.UK is the final source, so confirm there before you rely on it.
What is a sponsor for a visa?
A visa sponsor is a UK employer or organisation that holds a sponsor licence from the Home Office. A licensed sponsor is allowed to offer jobs to people from outside the UK, give them a Certificate of Sponsorship, and support their work visa application. Only employers on the register can do this.
How does visa sponsorship work in the UK?
First the employer holds a sponsor licence. They then offer you a job that qualifies for sponsorship and assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from their Home Office system. You use the CoS reference number to apply for your visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. The Home Office decides the application. A sponsor licence and a job offer do not guarantee a visa.
What is a sponsorship visa?
A sponsorship visa is a work visa that depends on a licensed UK employer sponsoring you, such as the Skilled Worker visa or Health and Care Worker visa. Your right to work is linked to that sponsored job. Always check the current rules and requirements on GOV.UK.
How can I find a sponsor in the UK?
Search the register on this site by company name, or use the filters to narrow it by location, visa route, sector and organisation type, for example care providers in Birmingham on the Skilled Worker route. Then look at the employer's own website for vacancies. Being on the register shows that an employer can sponsor, not that it is hiring or will sponsor you.
How can I get sponsorship to work in the UK?
You normally need a job offer from a licensed sponsor for a role that qualifies for sponsorship, and you must meet the visa requirements for that route, such as the salary and English language rules. Apply for jobs with employers on the register and ask whether they sponsor the role. Check the current requirements on GOV.UK, as they change.
How can I get a sponsor?
Look for employers that hold a sponsor licence, apply for roles that can be sponsored, and say clearly in your application that you need sponsorship. Use this site to confirm that the employer is on the register and has an A rating. Be careful of anyone who asks you to pay for a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship, as that is not how sponsorship should work.
What is a work permit in the UK?
The UK no longer uses the old work permit system. It was replaced by a points-based immigration system. Today, people who want to work in the UK usually apply for a visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa, and many of those visas need a licensed sponsor. Check the visa options and requirements on GOV.UK.
What is a job permit in the UK?
People often say job permit or work permit to mean permission to work in the UK. This is now handled through work visas rather than a separate permit. If you need an employer to support your visa, that employer must hold a sponsor licence and be on the Home Office register, which you can check here.
How do I get a work permit or work visa for the UK?
Find out which visa route fits your job and situation on GOV.UK, then get a job offer from an employer that can sponsor it if the route requires a sponsor. The employer assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship and you apply online for the visa. Take advice from a regulated adviser if your case is complicated.
How can I check my CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) status?
A Certificate of Sponsorship is created by your employer in their Home Office sponsor management system, so this site cannot show it. Ask your employer to confirm that it has been assigned and to give you the CoS reference number. After you apply, you can follow your visa application through the Home Office or visa application centre account you used to apply.
What is the difference between an A rating and a B rating?
An A rating means the sponsor is fully licensed and can assign Certificates of Sponsorship. A B rating means the Home Office has downgraded the licence and the sponsor is on an action plan; they usually cannot assign new certificates until they return to an A rating. You can see each sponsor's rating on this site.
Where does the data come from?
From the official Home Office “Register of licensed sponsors: workers” CSV published on GOV.UK. We load each new edition and highlight what changed since the previous one.
What do NEW, UPDATED and REMOVED mean?
NEW sponsors appeared in the latest register but not the previous one. UPDATED sponsors are still licensed but their rating or visa routes changed. REMOVED sponsors were on an earlier register and are no longer listed.
What is the difference between Worker and Temporary Worker?
Worker licences cover long-term routes such as Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility. Temporary Worker licences cover short-term routes such as Creative Worker, Charity Worker or Government Authorised Exchange.
Does being on the register guarantee a visa?
No. It only shows the employer holds a licence for the listed routes. Your visa still depends on the job, salary, your documents and the Home Office decision.
My employer is missing. What should I do?
Check spelling, trading names and the town filter first. Some employers are listed under their legal company name. If they are still missing, ask the employer directly and get regulated immigration advice.